


The wrong document

by RGmolpus



Series: Last Messages [10]
Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Boom!, Gen, Kosigan, Vorkosigan Vashnoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:07:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28879959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RGmolpus/pseuds/RGmolpus
Summary: Not everything in the Ceta cache is innocuous.
Series: Last Messages [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1213770
Comments: 34
Kudos: 27





	1. The Devilry in old documents

I was granted a security clearance when I started working on the documents found in the big Ceta treasure cache found near Impsec at Ladderbec Close.

I had to swear to keep my mouth shut, unless I was specifically allowed to talk - about anything.

For a history and Political Science nut like myself; having access to documents and records straight from the end of the Ceta occupation - both Ceta archives, and Barrayaran archives - it was wonderful; everything an eager Grad student could ever want. The stuff we were reading was unique - deep information on how both Yuri and the Cetas had kept their governments running.

I think the entire History department at VBSU was sworn in on this; under a joint committee of the senior professors and some people from Impsec. We've been told that any papers we write will have to be proofed and approved by the oversight committee, but only the most critical finds would be held back.

That what they said.

Commodore Galeni; the Impsec lead on the committee, had just written a chunk of a new history of Barrayar, from the rediscovery to the end of Ezar's reign. From what I've seen, that text is due for some severe edits based on what we've found in the cache.

All us Grad Students are guaranteed Ph.Ds from this, period. 

If....

IF we don't find what I'm looking at now.

I should burn it. not just shred it, but burn it and flush the ashes down the tub drain.

And the next three letter with it.

That's what I want to do.

Damn it.

Something shouldn't be allowed to exist.

When the Cetas left, they nuked Vorkosigan Vashnoi. that's something everyone knows. It's supposed - the official story - is that the ruling Junta of gHem did that to insult the commander of the winning side, old General Vorkosigan. They blew up other military bases they'd built, to deny the winners the decades of improvements they'd built - mainly equipment depots and supply centers; the treaty of departure had specified that civil structures, like dams, roads, monorail and birail tracks, water treatment and the like were to be left undisturbed; but they could take, or destroy strictly military supplies, _if they could_, in the ninety days they had before departure.

They did - and there was a huge military center close to Vashnoi. Blowing up that site would have been acceptable; leaving the building in ruins, maybe some streets and runways cratered, with the supplies piled up and burned.

They did that everywhere. Even the two arsenals that had stored fission and fusion devices. The bombs themselves were taken offworld, escorted by Barryaran inspectors past the first jump. Fissile metals, from the three plants that had been making pebble bed reactors, were taken as well, then returned as part of the final treaty Emperor Yuri signed. The reactor plants were left intact by the Cetas; the arsenal complexes were exploded by the Cetas after they were emptied.

That's what should have happened at the Vashnoi complex. A few building blown to bits, some roads and runways ripped up.

But they nuked the place.

We've thought it was a final insult to us; a last insult.

Then I translated this letter.

Oh, shit.

"Darill, the safety seals at the Vashnoi biocenter have been compromised. We caught the leak quickly, but I'm not sure it's safe to re-enter the processing room now; or (with the time limits we're facing) ever. Shocks from nearby detonations have damaged seals; and processing containers. Bio-safely protocols have been violated. I can't guarantee that all the contents of the contaminated areas will be sanitized to remove all possible hazards. Under normal situations, I'd flood the area with Florine and Chlorine gasses, and let it sit for a month. We don't have time for that.

It may be necessary to activate protocol zebra to make the area safe. This is a decision for the Central Commission, not me.

Yours, 

gHem Field-General Ryam Destair, Vashnoi Command."

That's the last part of this letter. General Destair is known to have been the commander of the Ceta Research and Development center at Vorkosigan Vashnoi; the Military officer over almost a third of the Ceta base. 

Darill must have been Colonel Haut Mustif Darill Rian; who was one of the representatives for the Celestial Garden on Barrayar. He usually was on one of the orbital platforms the Cetas placed around Barrayar. The groups he supervised were very independent of the main R&D staff, he is known to have been the main contact with the gHem central committee.

So few words, spread across a dozen sheets of archive paper.

A nightmare in san serif type.

My duty is to bring these sheets to Professora Vothys or Commodore Galeni at once. Then forget everything. Ask to be sent somewhere south; or out to a station half-way to Komarr.

Then abuse my liquor allowance. Repeatedly. Constantly. 

Knowing too much is a particular twisty type of hell...

=======================

Duv:

Another of my students has brought me another bit of evidence of why Vorkosigan Vashnoi was destroyed. So far, five documents hinting the real reason the city was destroyed have been discovered. I repeated the security briefing, and approved two weeks leave for him; he should be monitored by Impsec to check any leaks.

The original documents have been archived under keyword 'Argent Betty' and 'Philo Crystal'.

I expect more in this line will be found.

Yours'

Professora Helen Vorthys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ClF3 - Chlorine Triflouride
> 
> See https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2008/02/26/sand_wont_save_you_this_time For more information


	2. Family Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Family Vorkosigan has a chat.

Miles looked over the people in the residence conference room. He recognized most of them, Vorkosigans from the district invited by Gregor. There aren't many full-blood Vorkosigans left; after most of the family was obliterated when the Ceta's bombed Vorkosigan Vashnoi; just the few that were with Piotr's army, or hiding in the hills.

Family reunions now were sparse; but in the years since the destruction of Vashnoi, new families had sprung up; a new generation beginning to grow. Manse Vorkosigan was full of children, from infants to late teens; easily two dozen kids ready to restart the family. He was hosting everyone for this; to bring the family together.

The adults were mostly civil servants in Hassadar and Seligrad. Speakers; Department heads; senior executives. Miles knew them well, from the multitude of monthly meetings he attended, when auditorial duties didn't intervene. He'd been his Father's voice ever since Aral went to Sergyar as Viceroy; and before that he'd followed Aral to meetings to learn what being Count of a district meant. 

One group Miles didn't recognize; Most of the Senior Vorkosigans were wearing their formal garb, to meet with the Emperor, but these unknowns were in regular business dress - except for two men who were wearing an older style of military dress greens. He was wearing one of his neutral gray suits, with his Auditor's chain; official, but not overwhelming so. 

Roic was following Miles today; Pym and the other Armsmen were at the house; helping wrangle the children, and escorting the older guests around the city. The entire family (as it was) normally stayed in District; coming to Vorbarr Sultana was unusual - old Piotr had discouraged visits to Sultana during his life, Miles thought to keep them isolated from the politics of the Government - and to help him remain isolated from the politics of running the district. He amused himself with the Politics of the Council of counts; horsetrading with his fellow Counts - and the emperor, Ezar - letting the family back in Hassadar run things without his interference.

There was a small clique of the senior members of the district standing in a group halfway down the side of the auditorium. First was Chief speaker Amos Vorkosigan; of Hassadar; he was the administrator for all the speakers in the district; overseeing the record keeping; training, and suggested men (and now, a few women) when retirements or resignations occurred. He was with Chief Attorney Millicent Vorkosigan, senior Justice over the Dendarii Court system; and Major Hanz Vorkosigan (Impsec, Ret), Chief of the District Safety Corps. The three _were_ the government of the Dendarii district, once you included Lady Ludmill Vorkosigan, secretary of the District Treasury. 

Filling a cup with coffee, Miles went to join his relatives. Roic, tall and formal in his House colors, kept scanning the room; with a concentration on a small clique across on the far side of the chamber. He knew, from previous meetings, the rest of the Vorkosigan family members - especially Major Hanz (who had been his ultimate superior when he'd been with the Hassadar Patrol); but that group across the way - who were they?

"Cousin, do you know why the Emperor has called us in?" 

Miles was ready for this most common question. "Sorry, the Emperor hasn't told me anything special; except that documents from Ladderbeck Close have revealed something special that concerns us, as a family. Commodore Galeni, has been scavenging through some of the old documents, from Great-Grandfather's day; but he's not told me what he's searching for. I'll be as surprised as you when we get told."

Speaker Amos grimaced. "I expected he'd trust you, at least with hints, to cushion the shock of something major. University researchers have been digging through the archives in Hassadar -" Speaker Johan from Seligrad burst in; "They've been digging in our records as well, all the very old files, especially old medical files from when the Cetas operated the hospital, and the public health records. "

Amos restarted; " -digging thru the files in Hassadar. Oddly, they've been looking deeply into the old business charters for the family businesses, the old quarries and gravel pits. The Cetas left those alone, mostly, as long as they got the construction supplies they wanted. They left the staff and managers alone, as long as they met quota."

"They seized all the explosives, of course, to keep them out of Piotrs' hands - can't blame them for that... not that Piotr didn't get all he needed anyway." Amos looked off into a distant space, thinking about those times.

"Gregor has left me in the dark on this; it has something to do with the Ladderbeck cache; something they found. Until he tells us; I'm as in the dark as you." Miles replied, "I saw Professorad Vorthys - she's the lead from the University on cataloging and conserving the cache - here earlier today, along with a gaggle of her Grad Students, so I expect we're in for a presentation from them."

"On another note, does anyone recognize that group over there?" Miles gestured, politely, at a group of seven men and women who were gathered in a small cluster. Miles knew all his few relatives on sight, but these people were a mystery to him. Speaker Amos peered, myopically, and shook his head. "One of them looks just like KD, one of my remote cousins - died about the time old Piotr did, but they're a mystery to me. Johan looked; "Yes, one looks just like KD - thats' Karl Dumas -, and one woman looks like my old Aunt Perci, but she left us forty years ago."

"Well, this is a puzzle we can solve without the Emperor's help." Cousin Kevin, retired Major of the Engineer Corp, Senior engineer for the District, braced himself, then headed across the chamber to the mystery guests.

The group wound its way through the chairs in the auditorium, miles worked his way to the front to be the first to meet with the unknown guests. the small group turned to face the Vorkosigan clique; Miles made a small bow to the oldest man in the group; "If I may introduce myself; I'm Lord Miles Naismith Vorkosigan, son of Count Aral Vorkosigan. I recognize most of the people here, but you -"

The man Miles was addressing finished the sentence, "- But you are a mystery to me. I - we - recognize you, Lord Auditor Vorkosigan, I doubt if anyone on the planet wouldn't. We didn't expect the invitation from the Emperor, but, here we are.

My name is Teodore Kosigan, and this is my wife, Yanina Kosigan. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> According to 'Captain Vorpatril's Alliance', Tej discovers that there are about ten Vorkosigans extant. I'm boosting that a bit, as children and young adults would not be in the records she examined.
> 
> so, the entire Vorkosigan clan is about 20 - 30 people. 
> 
> for this, Gregor asked them to come to Vorbarr Sultana; Miles has put them up in Manse Vorkosigan, and the people not at the meeting are exploring the city with the Armsmen and staff that are available. The kids are having the time of their lives running and playing on the great lawn next to the house; Impsec is going cross-eyed crazy.


	3. Say WHAT!?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations in - are - ordered.

" - This is Andre Kosigan, my brother, and these worthies are Dmitri and Donar Kosigan, my nephews, of Port Van Deman, Vorfolses's District.

It's been a long time since we've seen any of our cousins in the flesh, Cousin."

Cousin Teodore looked at Miles and the other Vorkosigans with a smile. His companions were still for a beat, then hands were offered, and the two groups merged as delighted introductions were made. Quickly, the other Vorkosigans clustered around Teodore and his kin; as long-forgotten genealogies were remembered; to place everyone in a tenuous, but meaningful relation to each other.

Speaker Amos brought some order the the friendly chaos with a huge sneeze. "Cousin Teodore; Please; how did you survive? We few that survived Vashnoi - we thought everyone gone - lost. Please; tell the tale!"

Teodore looked around at his fellow Kosigans; "We all know how the Cetas infiltrated Barrayar as saviors; to help us recover and develop after the centuries of isolation. Engineering teams, medics; construction; loaning us equipment, supplies - all to win our hearts. Beta Colony did the same; Escobar, Old Earth - winning our trust and friendship with good deeds.

Ceta led the way; bringing so many modern things; remember this? They soon had the largest population of techs and assistance of any planet. 

Yet..."

He grimaced at the memory. "They brought so much and left it in orbit - they built a new orbital station, scattered satellites above our heads, with smiles and friendly handshakes. Until - "

"Until the troopships arrived and shuttles began landing troops at all those new spaceports they'd built." Muttered Amos.

"That night, they tried to kidnap every high official they could; Emperor Dorca escaped at the cost of ten of his Armsmen's lives. Every Count in Sultana was taken - and many who were in their district capitols as well. Our Count and Colonel, Piotr was in the mountains, inspecting new plantings; he escaped with most of his Armsmen safely. The Cetas took the Countess; Piotr raced back to Vashnoi and freed her, and his family. He then disappeared into the Mountains; to meet with Dorca and Generals' Vorrutyer and Vorkraft. Dorca raised Piotr to Full general on the spot, ordering the three to free Barrayar, whatever the cost."

"this, we all know." Teodore continued.

"For us; we didn't know what was happening; except that the Cetagandans, our friends - so we thought - were now our enemies. All we could do was hide the explosives we had up in the hills - it was obvious they would be needed but Piotr and Vorrutyer soon enough; and to hide our children where we could."

Teodore stopped to sip his coffee. Everyone knew the story of how the Cetas mounted their coup; How relatives had been kidnapped - disappeared - during those impossible hours. On that date there was no celebration; only painful reflection of the toil and labor that was to come.

Teodore continued to recite the history. "The Vorkosigan branch of the family went into hiding in the hills; to form the core of Piotr's army. We Kosigans decided to hide in the open - if that makes sense - by removing our family name from our businesses; and being very quiet. The quarry and gravel mines, and the cement mill had new names applied - the stationary was replaced; paperwork put on file in the Governor's office to hide the names of the owners. Everything really stayed the same; we had orders to fill, stone to sell." The Kosigans all nodded their heads. 

"If the Cetas offered gold for granite - why shouldn't we take it?" offered Dmitri; "We were already selling them gravel, concrete, slate - to build the structures we needed to advance. Piotr didn't mind; he wanted the information we could provide, by buying and selling to them. and - don't forget - the other planet's continued their efforts; Beta was helping build a new hospital in Hassidar; Earth Engineers were overseeing the monorail line from the east. We wanted the outsider's help; recall."

"There's more to your story." Miles asked. "I heard the story from Piotr many times about how he built his army - and his intelligence corp - but he never spoke of you, our cousins. "

"Well, Piotr left us be; we were - then - the spares for the family; we married into each other regularly; with an eye on to much cross-breeding; you run a stud book for horses, and you learn about the rules of Mendelian genetics! Back when Emperor Miles regularized the Vor - way back when - he allowed that a cadet branch of the family could replace the main line, if it failed - by adoption, or intermarriage.

My grandfather went in the hills, with his brothers and sisters, to talk with Piotr and General Vorrutyer. It was decided - after much hard talk - that the cadet lines in each house would break - for the time - its links with the senior branch; to, it was hoped, isolate them from the vengeance the Cetas would certainly inflict. So; my kin went home, and we hoped we could remain invisible from the Cetas."

"That I knew;" came from Chief Attorney Millicent; "I found orders from the old Justice; formally breaking the legal alliance between the Vorkosigans and the Kosigans. No preference for inheritance; property formally placed in the Kosigan name; other legal maneuvers. Old Dostvar, who was a junior at the time, took time to show me the files. Since then, - We haven't known you existed; so..." 

""It was hard for my grandparents and aunts and uncles to be cleaved from the family. Hard for all of us. But with the separation, we could argue - if it was needed - and it was! - that we Kosigans' were entirely separate from the Vorkosigans; entirely innocent - so it seemed - of what the General was doing. If you cooperated, it was as individuals, not as a clan; limiting the vengeance the Cetas could do - by their own laws." Teodore added.

"To continue, all went well for the first two years. Piotr was still organizing his troops; life was returning to some order. The Cetas' put a rationing system in place; it didn't bother us much, as we had the family farms to draw on - tho the Cetas' grabbed all the supplies they could! They didn't pay worth a damn; but they paid. We helped run the black market, like almost everybody; sending supplies to the mountains; and into the city; to keep people fed. Onions are easy to grow, as are mushrooms and potatoes; and just how many pigs and cattle did we really have?" Everyone had a chuckle, remembering the stories of midnight boxes and sacks appearing on doorsteps. "The Cetas' stopped bothering us about the black market - we were doing a better job of feeding the people than they were; and the few that would testify in court - in a Ceta court!? Well, that got corrected soon and fast."

"It was in the second - maybe third year -" came from Dimitri.

"Defiantly in the third year - " Donar repeated.

Back to Teodore. "Well, finally the Cetas began to feel the pain from General Piotr's forces. Major supply convoys ambushed; a few assassinations; a few dead gHem Generals - the High command realized that these 'primitive' peons were fighting back. So, orders went out to take hostages.

Every Vor of note, every district Family, had gone hidden. If the Ceta's didn't have them already, they weren't getting them. Their squads searched everywhere around Vashnoi for any Vorkosigans; all they got were a few grandmother's and grandfathers, trying to live in retirement. You know that, right?"

"Certainly; Piotr had called for everyone in the family to hide in the mountains; or change names; just as would have happened during the bloody centuries if an invader had arrived." Cousin Millicent nodded in agreement.

"Well, the Cetas weren't happy about the small catch they had - you can't really threaten an eight-year-old grandmamere and get the result you want. Eventually, some bureaucrat realized that there was a 'Family Kosigan'; somehow attached to the Vorkosigan family; and there were a number of them. This spread; and suddenly; all the cadet families became targets - Rutyer, Bohn, Innins, Kraft, - everyone. Quick as a wink, we were gathered up - and sent to internment camps. In our case, there was a quick bureaucratic fight with the Intelligence people with the Supply branch supporting us - if they took to all of us, the gravel pits, cement mills, and the like we ran would shut down - to the damage of the projects the Cetas were doing. It went to the high command; so a fair chunk of us - the Kosigans - stayed in place to keep things running. The rest of us, second sons and such, went to the camps. We got sent to a place in Vorfoles's district, at Port Murray; along with some Rutyers, Innis's and Patrils. There we were, stuck in a dismal swamp, three thousand of us in wood shacks. "

Teodore selected a pastry from a platter. Dimitri continued; "So, the Cetas moved about three hundred of us to Vorfolse's District; along with three or four other families. We sat there, not doing much, for five years; except that we slowly started doing all the support work at the camp. We did the cooking, minor repairs; made shoes, did all the handiwork we could, to have something to do - then , the Ceta's booted all of us out of the camp, and handed us off the the Vorfolse district people. "

"When did this happen?" Miles was curious; the Cetas were happy to sit on a hostage population for years and years - from own experience. 

"It was about ten years in - at the height of their power." Teodore counted the years on his fingers to make the point. "Prince Xav was finally sending Piotr and Vorkraft supplies; Vorrutyer had just been killed after a big siege; it looked like the Cetas were really beginning to win the pacification campaign. So, they set us free - which meant Vorfolse had to support us, not them.

The mayor of Port Deman didn't get any help from Vorfolse; who was in Vorbarr Sultana sucking up to the Cetas. So, the mayor begged a lot of tents off the Cetas, and we started living in a little tent city, just to the east of Port Deman. We looked around to find things to do - life was tight, but we found opportunities. The Rutyers found some carts, and mules, so they started a cartage business; not much, but the local population was happy to give them business. The Innises had been doing most of the carpentry work in the camp; so they found jobs in construction; the Cetas were still trying to gain favor by building public works; most of what's in Vorfolses' district had the Innises' hands on it.

We started bakeries. We started donut shops; Boulangeries; bakeries. Up before dawn, finish by noon. We soon had a virtual monopoly in the District. Since then we've become the third largest commercial bakery on the planet. K and K Industrial Bakeries - you may have heard of us." Teodore finished by taking the last bite of the pastry he'd been eating. "We've got plans to open a bakery in Vorbohn's district, the Vorbarr Sultana market is the largest around; plenty of opportunities for the family." He took a handful of business cards from his vest, offering them to everyone.


End file.
